


Silent Once More

by whoovestrings



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: I know the prompt was hurt/comfort but I kinda forgot the comfort part whoops, M/M, Taakitz week day two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 12:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14105577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoovestrings/pseuds/whoovestrings
Summary: There was a job that needed doing in the Forest of Silence outside Waterdeep. Kravitz felt it in what passed for his soul. Something was dying, quite soon to be dead, and he was being instructed to take it over to the other side.





	Silent Once More

There was a job that needed doing in the Forest of Silence outside Waterdeep. Kravitz felt it in what passed for his soul. Something was dying, quite soon to be dead, and he was being instructed to take it over to the other side. Before he summoned his scythe to travel there, he took a moment to contemplate what had happened. The forest was known as a hot-spot of necromantic activity, and there was all the possibility he could be walking into an ambush, but there was no other instructions with the order, no mentions of necromancy, so this job would be a quick break from fights, something Kravitz was desperately in need of.

He summoned his scythe and put on his “handsome face” as Taako liked to call it. No point causing more distress to who was probably a wounded adventurer or a civilian who had wandered too far. He tore a hole through space, stepping through into the forest, only to be greeted by a rush of silence, which, Kravitz supposed, should have been expected with the name. The forest was so dense and so coated in moss and lichen that sound never travelled that far. Couple this up with Waterdeep’s weather charms extending to the forest, and the lack of creatures, and the place became as silent as the grave.

Kravitz looked around. Nothing really out of the ordinary, no bounties to be collected here. He stopped, halting his body to properly hear. There was the faint sound of ragged breathing to the west. Kravitz picked his way through the trees until he reached a trail of bright red blood. Elven, his mind told him, but something was slightly off about it. He followed the trail towards the breathing, until he reached a relative clear spot. His heart leapt into his throat.

Sitting at the base of a tree, clutching his stomach and determinedly trying not to cry, was Taako.

There was blood seeping through his fingers and pooling on the floor around him, staining his clothes and draining his life force, bit by bit. The amount of blood in the trail and the pool made it quite clear that this wasn't a recent development. Kravitz rushed over to his husband’s side.

Taako’s ears weakly moved towards the sound of movement, and his head slowly followed, and he met Kravitz’s eyes with a sad smile.

“Hey, wasn't expecting to see you so soon.” He quipped. His voice was raw, and he paused every few words to catch his breath.

“Taako, what happened?” Kravitz whispered, not wanting to disturb the forest too much. “Where's Merle, can he heal you?”

“God knows, babe. I got hit with a real nasty spell.” Taako said, “and Merle’s off somewhere else, I'm here on my own.”

It was magic. Okay, Kravitz could fix this. He took Taako’s face in his hands and started singing the first few bars of a song of healing. Taako shook his head to stop him.

“I don't think that's gonna work, Krav.” He lifted his hand away to show that the wound on his stomach that was so much worse that Kravitz had hoped, was rimmed with a pitch black ash. That was necrotic damage, really powerful necrotic damage. Kravitz was stumped. He had a arsenal of necromancy-repelling spells at his disposal, he could kill whoever did this to Taako with a snap of his fingers, but he couldn't heal. He was never meant to heal.

Kravitz was growing slightly hysterical. This couldn't be happening. He'd checked the book of bounties, Taako’s name did not show up here or now. This couldn't happen. It was impossible. He summoned the book itself and flicked to Taako’s page. His last death was in refuge. Almost a hundred years ago. Not the Forest of Silence, not the twenty third day of the second month of 1759. But then he realised. Taako’s death wouldn't be listed here anyway. He had 19 deaths, by all accounts the book thinks he's dead. The book won't record his death until it happens and by then it would be too late.

He put the book away slowly. Still not daring to believe what was happening. Taako had the same sad smile and it broke Kravitz’s heart. Kravitz took Taako’s hand, holding it close to his chest, and started humming again. It couldn't heal, but it could reduce pain. If Taako was going to die, he was going to do it peacefully, Kravitz had assured himself of that years ago. Taako visibly relaxed as the magic washed over him, dulling his senses and freezing his nerves.

“Hey Kravitz?” Taako asked, sounding almost sleepy. His hand had fallen to the side of him instead of being clutched at his stomach, but he weakly raised it to put a hand on Kravitz’s face.

“Yes, Taako, what is it?” Kravitz had to stop his spell, and he hoped the effects wouldn't stop immediately. Thankfully, they did not, and Taako’s expression never wavered.

“Do you love me?”

Why was this the moment to question this, Kravitz thought, surely there were more important things to worry about in this situation.

“Oh course I do, wh-” he was cut off by Taako pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his lips. There was the sharp metallic taste of blood around Taako’s mouth. He kissed back for a second, before remembering where he was. When he pulled away, however, he wished he could keep kissing him forever. Taako’s eyes met his one last time, then closed, and he slumped over onto Kravitz’s chest. A few more breaths forced their way out of him, before there was nothing. Kravitz’s ears starting ringing with the silence.

A few more moments, and a light appeared above Taako, initially taking the form of several strings, but then knit together into an orb, floating just above Taako’s head, or, well, Taako’s body’s head. The light came closer to Kravitz and pressed against his forehead. Kravitz never thought there’d be a day where his bounty had to comfort him. He looked up at the light, stood up, and summoned his scythe again. He was sent here for a reason, after all.

“I love you, Taako.” Kravitz said, open ring a rift back to the astral plane.

The silence must be playing tricks with him, because Kravitz could swear he head the orb say “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr @enby-taako


End file.
